CCWD loses finance director to Me-Wuk

Julie McManus, who has been with the water district for six years, is the second financial officer to leave CCWD this month.

The district's budget and finance manager, Jim Deaton, left March 13 to become budget manager for Lexington-Fayette urban county government in Kentucky. The job is not only a professional step up, Deaton said at the time of his resignation, it is also an opportunity to live closer to family members.

McManus, though, won't be traveling as far. She's taking a job as chief financial officer of the Me-Wuk Tribal Council in Tuolumne

CCWD General Manager John Stewart said McManus has been "an impact player. She's had a strong presence in all of the policy being developed."

Stewart said McManus' financial analyses played a big part in the district's master planning for each water and wastewater facility. "And she's put our auditing and accounting procedures in top-notch shape," he said.

As the water district heads into budget preparation season, Stewart said he has lined up a finance expert for a couple of days a week to develop parts of the budget. He has also been in contact with the League of California City's Circuit Rider Program, which makes retired experts available for short-term projects.

He said he hoped to locate someone to fill the slot for 60 to 90 days, giving the district time to conduct a search for both Deaton's and McManus' positions.

"We want to take a careful look and make sure we find just the right person for our district," he said.

McManus joined CCWD in 1997 as a financial analyst, gaining new responsibility each year until she was named finance director in 2000.

She was responsible for tasks including setting budgets, rate-setting, debt financing, investing, financial planning and reporting and utility billing.